The Girl Who Met a Time Traveler
by Novum
Summary: Dawn Berlitz had barely begun her pokemon adventure, but she found herself to be losing her sense of self through the isolation. However one night when she met a boy, it changed everything, this is the tale of Dawn began to find purpose in what she does after all, this boy was a time traveler.
1. Chapter 1

Dawn sighed to herself, and only herself. There was no one around for miles at her little campsite. The sun had set more or less an hour ago and Dawn sat herself the campfire, in front of her small lone tent, with her favorite blanket wrapped around her. She rubbed one of the edges between her thumb and index finger.

Dawn had started her journey about a month ago. She came up to her Dad asking to be allowed to become a pokemon trainer. Now her Dad was one of the assistants for Professor Rowan, and he half expected her to become an assistant herself. So for her to come up to him and explain that she wanted to become a pokemon trainer was a big shock to him, but he supported anything she would do.

She left with another boy around her age. Barry something-or-another, he was the one to convinced Dawn to become a trainer, rather forcefully actually, since he wanted to be one too. However he was very impatient, and it made him head out before Dawn could, he even forgot his pokedex. They have been neighbors and friends since they were children. Dawn actually wanted to travel with him. She never got the chance to ask him though. She wanted to ask the day before they left on their journey, but she became shy of asking for no particular reason, and the day they left. Barry had already left before Dawn realized it. Now every now and again, Barry would literally run into Dawn. They would chat a little, maybe a quick battle, and then he was off again. Dawn never knew where he wanted to go in such a rush.

Dawn was getting tired of traveling alone. She hated being lonely. She made a promise with herself, for now on, she was going to be more assertive. That way she would at least would have had a traveling companion... for as long as she could keep up with him anyway. However, at the moment being assertive wasn't enough to keep her from feeling all alone in the world. She once or twice considered going home. She never really planned her life so that she could become a trainer. Barry was just talking rather rapidly and loud, and it just made sense for her to do what he said. She did agree to it though because she thought it would be a great experience. Well it's becoming obvious that this experience wasn't for her.

Dawn removed her blanket somewhat and picked up a pail of water. She was about to put out her campfire and go to bed when she thought she heard something.

She put down the pail and tried to listen intensively. It sounded a lot like a whining sound. It was rather faint. It didn't sound like a pokemon that would normally be in the area she was in. Her curiosity got the best of her as she slowly made her way toward the whining sound. It was becoming clearer, but also was dying down. As Dawn got closer to the source of the sound, she was able to make out a form in the darkness. It wasn't a pokemon, it was human. It was also talking to itself as well.

"Come on you stupid..."

It was a rather young voice, but on the deep side, so a boy, probably around the same age as Dawn by height of the form. He seemed to whacking at his poketch.

Dawn thought about going out to introduce herself, seeing as maybe he could cure her loneliness, but this was a stranger in the woods. He looks harmless though, if not a little irritated. She considered going back to camp and ignoring him, but then she remembered her promise. She would be more assertive!

"Hello?" Dawn said poking her head out of the tree and moving closer. She could see him better now.

"Uh... Uh... Hi?" He replied back. As though not sure of himself.

"What are you doing out here, at this time of night?"

"Well... I... Could ask you the same thing."

"I set up camp nearby, but I heard a whining sound and came to investigate. Did the sound come from you poketch?"

The boy hid the arm the poketch was strapped too behind his back.

"No! No! I... came here... because I heard it too."

"No you didn't. I see you trying to hide it." Dawn came closer to the boy. She could now make out his outfit and facial features. He was rather cute and... and was he blushing? "If it's broken, maybe I could fix it?"

"I doubt you can." He said with a nervous laugh. "Um sorry about changing the subject but um... Where are we and what time is it?"

"What do you mean where are we and what time is it? Isn't it on your poket- Oh that's right it's broken so you wouldn't know the time. But how do you not know where you are, it's not like you just appeared here right?"

"Yeah... ha ha... But please, just tell me where we are at?"

"Okay? We are in Eterna Forest."

"Eterna Forest..." He repeated to himself as he looked around.

"So do you have camp set up somewhere?"

"I... No."

"Then come with me to my camp."

"I... rather not."

Dawn wasn't going to take no for an answer, she was going to be assertive.

"Please", she grabbed his arm. "I insist", and she dragged him against his will back to her camp.

Lucas and Dawn sat around her roaring camp fire. Lucas seemed rather fidgety and kept looking around.

"So... You know." Dawn said. "I just dragged you to my campsite, when I don't even know your name."

The boy thought for a while, what did he forget his own name? "It's Lucas." He finally answered.

"Lucas huh? I'm Dawn, nice to meet you."

Lucas kept looking at his broken poketch. Dawn was able to get a good look at it under the light from the fire. It was really fancy. It had far more buttons than a standard one and was a bit bigger.

"Where did you get that fancy poketch?" Dawn asked.

"Um... This thing... I... won it... in a special contest."

"Uh huh..." Something wasn't right about this boy. He had some really strange poketch that didn't work. He didn't know where he was and he always answered the questions after great thought or pauses. He was hiding something...

"So tell me Lucas." Dawn continued with an inquisitive tone. "What are you doing here in the forest?"

"I... got lost."

"Right right. And the whining noise?"

"I... my poketch broke... remember?"

"Uh huh. I think there is something your not telling me Lucas."

The boy jumped slightly. "What do you mean! I'm not hiding anything!" He suddenly shouted. He then caught himself and face palmed.

"Right... Come on, your hiding something" She moved over near his spot around the campfire. "And I want to know what it is."

"I-"

"-Won't rest till you tell me."

"I think your really cute!" He found himself saying rapidly.

Dawn leaned back a little, that was not really what she was looking for.

"I..." Lucas said, he took off his hat and covered his face with it.

Dawn moved a little closer to him. She then grabbed onto his hands and slowly forced them to move away to reveal his face. Dawn looked at Lucas.

"Well maybe... I think your cute too."

One word kept ringing in her head; assertive, assertive, assertive...

Dawn leaned in closer, she tightened her grip on Lucas. She inched her way closer to Lucas, who seemed to stunned to react, this is what it means to be assertive right! Dawn closed her eyes... and she fell through Lucas.

She stood up and looked at Lucas. He seemed to be fading away. Dawn looked at her hands they seemed to be grabbing air as the fading hands in them just drifted through her. Dawn looked at Lucas in horror.

He just smiled apologetically at him.

"I'm also sort of a time traveler." He said, before he finally faded away into the nothingness.

Dawn couldn't believe what she just saw. Lucas just disappeared into thin air. A time traveler? No he couldn't be? Could he? He was a strange boy, no doubt about it, but a time traveler? It would explain why he seemed so fidgety... And that he didn't know where he was... If the future had such cute boys though... But really a time traveler? Is it really that hard to believe though? He did just disappear... What if he was just a figment of her imagination? Though he felt way to real to be an imaginary friend... Well one thing is almost certain, she would probably never see him again...

Dawn tried to push the thought from her head. She only spent roughly ten minutes with the boy, and yet he was all she could think of. She put out the fire to her campsite, and grabbed her blanket and headed back into her tent. A thought came to her head, she would have kissed a time traveler, if only she had a little more time.

* * *

I really like the idea behind this story, and how everything is planned out, having some trouble with the middle part though, hope it won't be too rough. I would like to know what you guys think. I personally believe I might have rushed relationship development between these two characters but it was to get a plot point across. But when I read it along with the other chapters, I know I have something good here. Probably a few grammer errors somewhere in there, but what can you do. I'm beginning to wonder how relevant Dawn and Lucas shipping in the fanfiction world is nowadays, considering new games and characters are coming out, do people even search for such niche shippings?


	2. Chapter 2

Dawn didn't know what to think about the new day. Could last night have been a dream? It just seems really improbable that someone could just travel through time, it's science fiction. Although... They were able to capture monsters into a ball that could fit in the palm of your hand so... But it just seems to improbable that a time traveler would run into her. What are the chances? Well Dawn decided to keep going, she packed up and headed toward the next town, the next gym. She wasn't really looking forward to the next gym. She hated making any sort of confrontation that mattered. She had to pace for hours just to gather the courage to tell her father she wanted to leave.

As Dawn was traveling she couldn't help but keep her ears pricked, in case she heard that whining sound. If that time traveler really did exist, and should she meet him again. She had quite a few questions to ask him. Such as... Where was he from? How is he time traveling? Why was he time traveling? Why did he leave? Oh well...

Dawn reached the city limits of Eterna City. Dawn had to stop for a while, a pleasant aroma seemed to have wafted from the city. It smelled fresh, not flowery like the last town, Floaroma. It had a more grassy, relaxed smell. Dawn had to get ready for her gym challenge, but this is a whole new town. It had some new shops. Maybe some shopping first? At least to refill her supplies, at least.

Dawn took a step into the city when she heard it. At first she wasn't sure if it was the same exact sound. Actually she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it or not. After all it will be kind of awkward since... well... that almost kiss...

She turned around to face the sound to see Lucas. He was rather transparent, quickly gaining form. He was focusing on his poketch.

Dawn actually wanted to run and hide before he would see her. Then she remembered the promise she made to herself. Be more assertive. It's just like a promise to yourself to bite you in the butt. So she waited and watched as Lucas became even more solid.

The whining grinded to a halt before Lucas finally moved. He looked up and froze when he saw Dawn standing there also looking at him.

"Um..." He said, his cheeks were a little red. "What are you doing here?"

Lucas said this in a rather confused tone, however for some reason Dawn took it as annoyed.

"What do you mean what am I doing here? What are you doing here?" She went up to him angrily.

"Well I am... Uh" Lucas trailed off when Dawn began to poke him. Her mood seemed to have changed from fury to wonder. "What are you doing?"

"How do you do that?" She kept poking his arm.

"Do what?" He wanted her to stop, but he couldn't bring himself to say it to her.

"This little disappearing act of yours, the 'time traveling' as you call it."

"I..." He grabbed her hand to stop the poking. "Really can't say much about it. So it would be really important if you don't tell anybody about me."

"I don't know." Dawn said mischievously. "I'm really curious about your 'time traveling.' If you don't give me some answers, I might have to ask other people."

Lucas couldn't tell if she was kidding or not. Her sly smile was getting to him.

"Okay. Listen I need to just make notes over the town in this period. Why don't you join me, and maybe afterward I can answer all your questions."

"Nuh-uh."

"Nuh-uh?"

"You see what's going to happen after you go around town is that disappearing act you do, like yesterday when I tried to..." Her voice trailed off. "Nonetheless, your going to answer my questions now, or during your note taking, not later!"

Lucas was taken aback. He wasn't planning to abandon her after he did his job. He didn't even mean to leave her when she tried to... yeah.

"Um okay then." He said. "Let's get it over with."

Lucas started walking into town, Dawn followed after.

"So... you do time travel right? This is not some sort of magic right?"

"What do you mean magic?"

"Like you aren't just using some sort of magic to teleport yourself instead of actually time traveling?"

"No I'm not."

"It's just... time traveling seems so unlikely."

"And magic isn't unlikely?"

"Well do you have proof that your from the future?"

"Well the poketch does have an identification feature on-"

Dawn gasped as she suddenly grabbed Lucas's arm. Lucas turned red just having physical contact with the girl. The girl however paid more attention to the poketch.

"Wow! There are so many new apps for it! Which one is the one for your id? Never mind, I found it!"

Dawn read the information that presented itself on the watch, then she stopped and let go of Lucas's arm.

"Wait, your going to be born in fifty years?"

"I guess, you never told me the time remember?"

"So time travel is possible in the future then?"

"It's still in testing. I'm just a professor's assistant. My professor pretty much invented actual time travel. I'm just testing it out."

"Okay... So then..." She would have to bring it up, after all she had to be more assertive. "Why did you time travel away when I was going to kiss you last night?"

"I..." Lucas got slightly red, for some reason Dawn enjoyed doing that to Lucas. "I really don't have control over that. Like I said it's in testing and the watch just chooses when I go back."

"So then you did want to kiss me!" Lucas just flushed red with that comment. Dawn giggled, she really enjoyed it. "So then how much time do you have left for right now until you go back?"

Lucas seemed to recover from most of the embarrassing shock. "I really don't know. You would have to ask the watch."

"So do you choose where you time travel? Like could you go to the renaissance?"

"No, my professor set's the time period and place. I really can't just choose to go where I want, whenever I want."

"Okay."

"Is that all the questions you have?"

"Well I got questions about the future-"

"No. I said to much already, and I really shouldn't be interacting with you."

"Then why are you?"

Lucas grew a little red again, he began scratching the back of his head. "Because really... I was hoping to run into you again, and since I did..."

Dawn smiled. She felt the same way. "You need to stop being so nervous. I will tell you what. I will help you with your little note taking of this town, okay?"

Lucas let out a quick, silent laugh. "Okay."

Lucas took little notes Dawn couldn't see in his little notebook he carried around as Dawn took Lucas to almost every shop and every building except one...

"How come we haven't gone to the pokemon gym?" Lucas asked.

"Well..." Dawn said. "Because I need to challenge it and I don't want to go in until I know I'm ready to fight the leader."

"Are you?"

"I don't know... I have been training my pokemon and everything, but when it comes to big battles like this... I just feel weak-kneed. I'm amazed that I actually competed in my previous gym challenge."

"Well how did that gym challenge go?"

"I won."

"So then what are you worried about?"

"What if I don't win this time?"

"But what if you do win? Maybe all you need is a little support. So I will tell you what. You will go take the gym leader's challenge, and I will be right there with you. For a girl who seems to have no problem meeting a strange boy in the middle of the forest at night, you seem to have some strange confidence problems."

"Heh." Dawn chuckled. "Maybe... But how much time do you have left?"

"That doesn't matter. I'm still here right now." Lucas said. "So let's go."

Lucas took her hand, now it was Dawn's turn to turn red, and he led her to the gym. They entered the doors and walked up to the gym leader Gardenia.

"Hello there." She said. "Are you here to challenge the gym?"

"I'm not." Lucas said. He shoved Dawn in front of Gardenia. She looked back in terror at Lucas. He just reassured her with a smile. Dawn looked at him with appreciative eyes, and she nodded.

"Gardenia, my name is Dawn and I would like to challenge your gym."

"I accept!" She said.

Gardenia walked into her arena expecting Dawn to follow her toward her grass filled arena. Dawn instead turned around to Lucas. She gave him a kiss.

"W-What was that for?" Lucas said.

"That one was for last night."

She kissed him again.

"And that one is for getting me in here."

She left the blushing Lucas as she walked over to her side of the field. She held onto one of her pokeballs. Dawn was grateful she found Lucas again, without him, she might have spent over a week in the town just to challenge the gym leader.

"You'll do fine!" He called out.

Dawn found him under a tree to the offside of the arena. After that comment, Lucas started to fade again. Dawn didn't want him to go, and by the looks of it, he didn't want to go either. But he looked up from his disappearing body, gave Dawn a thumbs up with the same smile he gave her last time. She smiled back at him, and gave him a thumbs up before he disappeared.

Dawn faced toward Gardenia and called out,

"I hope your ready, because here I go!"

and she threw the pokeball.

* * *

I wasnt sure if it was obvious or not, but this isn't my fic. Some guy posted this over a year ago, but took everything down and changed his name to some number and letters thing. Anyways I begged and pleaded and got most of his fics since I thought they were amazing, so I'm re-uploading them, that is why I recommend the other fic on this account Heart Swapped, since people really seem to love it.  
Anyways this fic didn't have any of the authors original comments, however when I talked to the guy we got into a big lengthy discussion over his fics, his style, his inspiration, his ideas and told me how this one ends. I only have a few chapters of this left, and then I have to finish writing this one, I just hope it wont turn out bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Dawn had spent the next couple of weeks traveling. She had won her battle with Gardenia, then borrowed a bike going down the cycling road. She had made her way through Mount Coronet and now she was going to enter Hearthome City. She booked a room, there were plenty of things to do in this city. There was a gym and she was looking forward to that. Sadly her first day out on the town she learns the gym leader was no where to be seen. So she spent it shopping, it was funny. Most of the shops in Hearthome were about things for your pokemon. Nothing like vitamins or training manuals, but more of costumes and what look like accessories. She decided to buy some just so that her pokemon would look cute. It was until she went up to the counter with her purchases she learned what they were for.

"I see your buying quite a few outfits." The casher said as he ringed up her purchase.

"I just saw them, and they called out to me." Dawn said.

"So I take it your going to enter the pokemon contests."

"Pokemon contests?"

"What, you don't know what they are?"

"Sorry..."

"Then why are you buying these accessories?"

"I... thought they were cute..." Dawn said timidly.

"Well I think you should compete in the contest, you got quite an eye for accessories."

"Thanks."

Dawn paid the casher and walked out of the shop. She decided to look into it. Maybe contests could be another way of propelling her career as a trainer. Doing a little bit of everything would be kind of nice. She just had to find out where to go. She asked around, people told her the big coordinating hall was where to go.

She turned around. Was it that big building that loomed over the city. Big buildings mean big stands, which means big audiences. Dawn just started sweating bullets thinking about it. She then decided to walk the other way, toward the pokemon center. Maybe next time when she comes to the town for the gym battle she will participate in the contest, or maybe after she wins the gym after that one, or after the league. Who knows? She looked up from her traveling path to see someone she hasn't seen in a weeks.

It was Lucas. He was talking to someone on the street with his notepad out. Dawn didn't know whether to walk up to Lucas and say hi, or whether to look like she was busy doing something else and for him to notice her... Oh it looks like he is finishing up, what to do? What to do?

There was a fountain near her. She quickly darted for it, and started to stroke the water inside, hoping Lucas would see her when he passed.

Dawn kept him in view by the corner of her eye. Lucas finished talking to the person and with his notepad in hand, he walked right past Dawn.

Dawn was flabbergasted. How could Lucas not see her? Does she have to refresh his memory? No wait, he must be doing the, I'm so cool, I-want-the-girl-to-walk-up-to-me thing. Well if he thinks it's going to work he has got another thing coming.

Dawn stroked the water a few more times.

Well maybe she could walk up to him, but just to get mad at him for ignoring her. That would teach him.

Dawn ran up behind Lucas and forcefully turned him around on the spot. The unsuspecting Lucas almost tripped, but instead stumbled around.

"Who do you think you are!"

"Dawn?" He said with a scared surprise.

"No I'm Dawn, and your the jerk!"

"I'm the jerk?" Lucas said confused.

"I'm glad you agree!"

"But-"

"That's right, I'm kicking yours right now! How dare you ignore me!"

"I didn't ignore you." He said timidly.

"Oh? Then why did you walk past me when I was sitting in the fountain!"

Lucas looked around, people were starting to stare. "I didn't see you there."

"You didn't see me!" She said angrily.

"But if you did see me... Why didn't you walk up to me and say 'hi'" He asked.

Dawn shrunk at that point. "Just because..." She mumbled.

"So your getting mad at me... When it's your fault?"

"Well... I just want you to notice me."

Lucas opened his mouth then closed it. Darn that she was so cute. "Well anyways." Lucas said. "What are you doing in Hearthome."

"I'm continuing my journey, I won against Gardenia by the way. What are you doing here is the real question?"

"You won? Congratulations, I knew you would-"

"Is that because your from the future." Dawn interrupted. Lucas started shushing her while looking around, but she ignored him. "And I'm the most successful trainer ever, and they revere me and stuff in the future."

"Um... I don't think I've heard about a famous Dawn in the future."

"You sure know how to bring me down Lucas."

Darn her cuteness. "Anyway, I'm here to ask a few questions to the city folk and-"

"Then why didn't you ask me?" She was on his arm. He blushed from the contact.

"Be-Because I was... about... to ask you... now?"

"Wonderful!" She released his arm.

"Um okay, should we sit by the fountain or something?"

"Okay."

Dawn merrily skipped over to the fountain and Lucas met her there. He opened a new page on his notepad.

"Fire away!" She said.

"Okay... How long have you been in this city?"

"Hmm... More or less a day."

"Okay." He scribbled something on it. "What do you think of the local establishments?"

"The shops? Well I like them, they are a bit contest heavy though."

"I'm actually getting to that." He scribbled more notes. "Have you ever seen or participated in a contest?"

She looked down and away. "No."

"Do you want to?"

"...no", she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"No! I'm sorry it's just... I kind of want to join a pokemon contest. But I can't if everyone would be watching."

"You want to do a contest, but you have stage fright."

"Dreadful stage fright."

"You do have weird confidence problems."

"Luuuucaas." She whined. "Don't make fun of me."

"How can you have stage fright. You are so... pushy."

"I... well I made myself that way recently. I made a promise to myself."

"To be pushy?"

"To be more assertive. It's what helped me meet you in the first place."

"Okay."

"And well the gym leader isn't here today. So I heard about contests, but the building it's huge, the audience will be huge too. And what if I mess up while performing. Everyone will see, and it will be so embarrassing. And... Are you laughing at me?"

Lucas was laughing. "I'm sorry but it's just, funny. So I will tell you what, I will help prepare you to fight your stage fright so that you can participate in the contest. How does that sound?"

"... I guess... Maybe."

"Okay then. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and led her to the contest hall. She was too much in shock with him holding her hand to fight back against going to the contest hall.

They opened the door and walked in. Lucas led her to the counter.

"Go ahead Dawn." He said. "Register yourself."

"I don't know." She barely said, fear overwhelming her.

"Come on, I will be right here with you."

"Promise you won't go disappearing?'

Lucas started laughing. "I wasn't kidding." She said seriously. Lucas stopped laughing, but he still smiled.

"I promise."

Dawn started talking to the receptionist and signed herself up with a single contest. She turned back to Lucas. "There happy."

He was still smiling at her. "Not yet." He grabbed her hand again and he made her run out of the contest hall with him. They went outside of city limits for a while.

"So what are we going to do?" Dawn asked.

"We need to help you focus. The only thing that deserves your attention are your pokemon. Not the people in the stands. You have proven yourself to be a good trainer by those two badges you have received."

"Okay. How are we going to do that."

"Get out the pokemon your going to use."

She brought out her prinplup.

"Okay then. I want you study prinplup here."

"What do you mean study? Only look at prinplup."

"Yup." He walked away.

Lucas went up to a few berry trees and examined the berries. He was dissatisfied with the berries on the trees and moved toward the next bunch. He was glad with what they yield and picked quite a number. He returned to Dawn. She was lying on her back with prinplup staring at the clouds.

"Um... I didn't have this in mind."

Dawn sat up. "Oh sorry Lucas, I got distracted."

"That's fine." He sat right in front of her.

"So what now?" She asked.

"We need to find something to help you focus."

"Like what?"

"Well... What keeps you motivated, what helps you move forward."

Dawn said something Lucas couldn't hear.

"I'm sorry what was that?"

"Can we find something else?"

"I don't even know what you found."

"Nothing important..."

"Well it has to be if helps you keep motivated."

She said something again Lucas couldn't here.

"You need to speak up. I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"Fine..." Dawn said as she puffed out some air. "You okay?" She said bashfully. "You help me keep going. I move on looking forward to seeing you again."

Lucas just blinked at Dawn, he could feel himself getting red. "Oh... Okay."

After a lengthy silence. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Lucas got up and offered his hand. "There is something left to do."

Together they went to the poffin house. When they entered they took up a booth with the poffin making machine.

"What are we doing here?" Dawn asked looking around.

"This is a poffin house, we make poffins here." Lucas replied.

"What's a poffin?"

"It's a snack you feed your pokemon to make them more attractive in contests. It is made with berries."

"Oh, but I don't have any berries."

"I do."

He laid out his spread.

"So pick one and let's start."

They picked a berry each and threw it into the batter. Lucas started to stir it, Dawn tried to imitate him but she had difficulty.

"It's too thick." She said.

That batch yielded poor poffins.

"Sorry... I'm not very good at this."

"Nothing a little help won't fix." He got up and went behind her. He picked a berry and threw it into the batter, then he helped guide her hands as together they stirred the same stick. Dawn looked up at Lucas. He was something special. The result this time was much better.

"Do you think you got this?"

"Yeah. Maybe I do."

They spent the next hour making poffins. Each batch getting better as they went on. It was finally time, for Dawn's first contest. She had a spare dress for such a formal occasion with her. She was in the lobby just waiting to be admitted backstage.

"Calm down, you'll be fine." Lucas said.

"How do you know?"

"Because you fed your pokemon good poffins, and because I will be in the audience watching you. Just pretend I'm the only one in that audience okay."

"But what if I can't find you, or what if you disappear before my turn."

"I'm still here right? Don't worry. I will be watching you the entire time."

"You promise."

"Look the doors are open. You better get going, you don't want to miss your first contest."

Dawn turned toward the door. Then she turned back gave him another kiss on his cheek, and ran through the door.

Lucas stayed in the lobby. Holding the cheek she kissed. He was starting to disappear. He sighed.

"Good luck Dawn." And he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Dawn came upon Solaceon town, there was no gym or appeal to the city for her. She heard about the ruins, and she has always been a little interested in history and decided to at least spend the day exploring. She entered the cave, but she found it to be a mistake. Dawn was on her toes. What made her think of exploring the Solaceon ruins alone? Now she was deep in the ruins and didn't know where to go.

Dawn just wandered through the ruins the only thing in the ruins, were just ancient hieroglyphs. However, every now and again, Dawn could swear they moved around when she wasn't looking.

Dawn had spent what seemed like countless hours in there, really it had only been half an hour. But the effect of being hopelessly lost seemed to have distorted time. Dawn stumbled in and out of various corridors. She didn't want to lose all hope of being lost... but the odds were against her. She was on the verge of tears, when who in the world, and time, could she find.

"Lucas?" She asked disbelieving.

Lucas looked up from the hieroglyphs and his notepad. He smiled at her. "Hey Da-"

Dawn interrupted him by grabbing onto him in fear. She was now in tears.

"Thank you, oh thank you!" She cried.

Lucas didn't know how to react. He just kinda stared at Dawn, mouth agape.

"I thought I would be lost forever!" She said into his chest.

"Um... Um..." He patted her back. "There there?"

"Oh Lucas I'm so glad to see you!" She said through her tears. "Now you can tell me the way out."

"Um well actually... I'm just as lost as you are."

"WHAT!" She backed off him. "What do you mean your as lost as I am!"

"Well..." Lucas scratched the back of his head. "I didn't bother trying to keep track of an exit because... I would be transported back to my time after a while, so..."

Dawn was now really crying now, it was hopeless.

"So I will tell you what, I will help you find an exit, just as long as you let me finish making my notes."

Dawn instantly cheered up and quickly attached herself to Lucas's left arm looking around cautiously. Lucas was just stunned with her clamping on to his arm.

"Are we going?"

"What?"

"Are we going to find an exit now?"

"Oh right, right..."

Lucas and Dawn together walked through the corridors, all the time Dawn never let go of his arm. Lucas would every now and again write a little something in his notepad and keep moving it was hard with Dawn hanging on his arm.

"So what are you doing here?" Dawn asked.

"These ruins actually don't exist in my time. So my professor told me to come back to this time and look them up."

"I'm glad you did."

"So why are you here?"

"Well... Since the beginning of my journey, I always kind of wanted to explore deep and dark places. This was the perfect chance."

"Why since the beginning of your journey?"

"Well... It's kind of embarrassing to admit... But I was always scared of closed in dark places."

"How is that embarrassing, everything got something there afraid of?"

"Well my fear was so bad that I was scared of going into my closet."

A smile formed on Lucas's lips.

"Don't you dare laugh at me!"

Lucas did everything he could to hold in the laugh, but he really couldn't help it as he just started cracking up.

An embarrassed Dawn just shoved him into the wall, hard.

"Ow. Why did you do that?"

"Because you deserved it."

Suddenly the walls started to shake and glow. Dawn quickly joined Lucas who was sitting on the floor and grabbed onto his arm again. Lucas just looked around in mystery.

The pictures of the strange markings and letters were springing to life, peeling themselves away from the wall. The markings and letters swarmed themselves over their heads.

Dawn hid her face into Lucas's shoulder. Lucas looked down to the frightened Dawn. The walls still didn't stop shaking.

"Unown..." Lucas said in awe. He has read about them, but has never seen one. They are more than quite rare in his time. Considered extinct by others. He turned his face upward at them. "Um... Hello?"

Dawn moved her face out of his shoulder and whispered, "what are you doing?"

Lucas gave her a half smile, before turning back to the unown. "Can... you tell us the way out?"

The unown swarming seemed to intensify. Dawn once again buried her head. Then the unown swarm started to drift down the corridor. When it reached the end it buzzed back and forth, inviting them.

"I think they want us to follow." Lucas said.

Dawn looked up at them. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Lucas got up, then helped Dawn up. She again clung to his arm, and together they followed the drifting swarm.

Dawn looked from the swarm, to Lucas and back. "How did you know?"

"How did I know what?"

"That they were friendly."

"I really didn't."

Dawn looked at him peculiarly.

"I mean, I had a clue sort of. I found there were six main corridors. Each had a primary letter symbol. F, R, E, I, N, D.

"Friend." Dawn said.

"Right. So I hoped they would be our friends."

"So you just asked them to help us?"

"Yeah."

"But weren't you scared? What if they were violent instead of friendly?"

"I was scared actually. What if they did attack or something? But I didn't let that stand in the way. I had to find out, and ask, it all worked out, they are leading us out. If I didn't ask, well... then we would still be lost. Look there is the exit right there." Lucas pointed toward the bright light.

"I see..." Fear ruled much of Dawn's life. Back before she started her journey. Her mind was mostly made up for her. She was always too much afraid to speak up for herself, so her parents and authority figures always decided for her what to do. If she did speak up, she would have made her own decisions, she would have been her own person. Would she be a different person?

Dawn's arms suddenly hit each other. They went through Lucas's, now disappearing, arm.

"I got to go apparently." Lucas smiled at her.

"Until next time?"

"Until next time."

He was gone. The unown danced happily over Dawn's head. She took in a deep breath. Faced the unown and said. "Thank you very much." With that, she left the ruins, back on her journey again.


	5. Chapter 5

It was one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. People came from all over to attend. It also seemed to have everyone, walking the same path as Dawn, talk about it to their friends. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. Just pay a small amount of money, get about twenty pokeballs, go into a confined area, and catch as many pokemon as possible. There are also some types of pokemon that could only be found in there. The Great Marsh looked so good on paper, thought Dawn, but... In practice... that's a completely different story.

Dawn kind of just paced around the entrance to the Marsh. She could hear the cry of the various and rare pokemon. She could hear the yells of the other trainers struggle to catch their pokemon. The only thing stopping her from having her fun is the fact that everything is covered in mud. Mud! The thought of wallowing in it, to get dirty by it, was disgusting. She always tried to keep herself presentable at any given time and place. Wearing a coat of mud wasn't her fashion of choice. So she was caught in a dilemma, to get muddy and catch new pokemon, or to stay presentable, miss out of new pokemon, and lose some money.

She sat on the nearby bench pondering over her decision. She didn't know what to do. She could see people coming into the marsh excited and then leave even more excited with new pokemon in arms. She wanted to feel the exact same feeling, sadly she just couldn't bear to become... unpresentable.

She got up from the bench and paced around a bit. On her second trip around her little pacing path. A little bit of mud seemed to have splashed on her boot. She cried out in surprise then bent down to wipe it off.

"Hey there!" A familiar voice rang out.

Dawn looked up from her boot, it was Lucas. He was splattered with mud and grass and decorated with a happy grin, wallowing knee high in a nearby mud patch.

"What are you doing waiting on the sidelines? Come out and play!" He tried to wave her over.

She looked over the mud he was around, then looked at the mud that clinged to him.

"I'm good." She called over to him.

"What? That's nonsense."

He made his way over to her, she took a few steps back.

"No! I don't want to get all muddy and yucky!"

"Yucky?" Lucas looked over himself. He was splattered with mud. "But that's the only way to get pokemon in here."

"I thought you were a well presentable boy Lucas. How can you allow yourself to get all muddy like this?"

Lucas thought this one over. "Well..." He finally said. "Because I love pokemon."

Dawn still frowned at him. "Well I do too. But still... I do have standards on how far I will go for them."

"Then come over here and push those standards further."

Dawn looked over the muddy horizon, in the distance the pokemon danced and played, as though taunting her. "I will take a rain check."

Lucas frowned and tilted his head. "Do I have to come over there and drag you in?"

"No, no, that won't be necessary."

"You sure?" Lucas made motions to move toward Dawn.

"No please! Get away!" Dawn scurried away from Lucas even though he hardly closed the distance between them.

"Well what's the problem with getting a little muddy? Who knows, you could find it fun."

"I really don't see how getting... Like that, could be any form, shape, or kind of fun."

"I don't know. It's kind of weird actually." Lucas thought in wonder. "There is some kind of weird special feeling being able to just get messy and not care. I could always clean up later right?"

"How can you not care?"

"You can't?"

Dawn looked at her shoes. Then at Lucas. "Stop laughing!" She commanded.

"I'm sorry. It's just..." Lucas looked at her. "Um never mind." Then he sheepishly turned away, hiding his reddening cheeks.

An awkward silence followed.

"So how do you do it?" Dawn suddenly said.

"Do what?"

"Not care."

"Oh." Lucas said. "Well, it's just... Being able to let go. I like to try different things. Especially things like this."

"They don't have the Great Marsh in the future?"

"They do, but it's now off limits to humans so..."

"I see..."

"I think the main thing is... I hate what-ifs, you know. I would hate to go through my life thinking what if I didn't get in the mud. What if I didn't apply to be a lab assistant. What if... anything, you know?"

"I could understand that." She went through a similar thing when she decided whether to introduce herself to Lucas the first time she saw him.

"So could it be possible you think of it in this way. What if you don't get in the mud, and miss out on a great time, and even greater pokemon?"

"I just... As much as I would want to think about it that way, and for thinking in that way to drive me into there... I can't."

Lucas frowned. "Why not?"

"It's just... you know... I was raised different. I was always told that a young lady should make herself presentable at all times. I was forbidden from playing in the mud and anything else that would make me unpresentable. So... it's kind of ingrained in me to avoid such complications.

"Well, I see." Lucas said casually, he teetered back-and-forth, eyes fell off of her. "It doesn't sound like you love them at all."

Dawn gasped obviously offended. "I do too love pokemon!"

Lucas teased, "liar."

Dawn pouted angrily at Lucas.

"You really don't love pokemon." Lucas continued. "Have you been faking your love all this time?"

"You better stop Lucas." Dawn warned.

"Or what?" Answered retaliantingly. "You're over there, and I'm way over here. You can't touch me." Lucas taunted.

In that instant, Dawn saw what looked like the flicker of a smile. She knew what he was trying to do. She couldn't help herself from smiling. Was it going to work? She wasn't going to let it.

"I think I better leave then." Dawn said, deciding to use his own medicine against him.

She turned and walked away. Counting the seconds, until he would call her back trying to apologize to her. She couldn't help but to silently giggle. That giggling stopped, when she counted to ten. She turned her head and found that he too was turned around and in fact just dived after a wooper. The nerve of him, how dare he not only ignore her, but forget about her.

"Hey!" She marched back up to him.

Lucas turned back around. "Oh your back." He smiled at her.

"How could you just let me go."

"Oh that was easy. You see... I knew you would come back." He was smiling even wider.

That comment left Dawn's mouth agape. "Well I..."

"I am nowhere near as cool as me." Lucas finished her sentence, taunting her once again. "Tell you what, if you come in, I will let you get a free one." He said showing his left cheek.

Dawn clenched her teeth and fists.

"You know what, if you want to leave, go ahead." Lucas then proceeded to turn around and walk away.

"Don't you walk away from me!" Dawn yelled at him.

Lucas either didn't hear him or just ignored her, and Dawn wouldn't have that. She swallowed her pride and trudged her way into the mud quickly gaining on him. She raised her fist ready to strike. When Lucas turned around and grabbed it.

"I knew you would come back." He said once again smiling at her. "And look at where you are."

Dawn looked at her boots, and how they were splattered with mud, and then she whimpered.

"Oh no no no", said Lucas. "This is a good thing. And now that your all muddy, you can make the best of it, and catch as many pokemon as you can."

Lucas's logic did make sense, but she still didn't like how Lucas tricked her. However, she did feel some kind of weird thrill being covered in mud. Well actually, only her boots were covered with mud. But that quickly changed as the day went on. Lucas helped Dawn capture all the pokemon she needed, and she helped likewise with his following research. It was the most fun Dawn has had in a long time. She was surprised by something she thought so wrong of, gave so much fun.

The day was ending and Lucas and Dawn were leaving the Great Marsh.

"Thanks for your help today Lucas", Dawn said, "with everything."

"No problem."

"However", Dawn said. She moved in front of Lucas causing him to stop "there is still something I must do left." She got up close to Lucas.

"Okay." Lucas said. He could feel himself heating up.

"Close your eyes." Dawn suggested.

Lucas did, he was not sure exactly Dawn was going to do. Well, he had an idea, and... he wasn't sure if he was ready for it. He did as he was told...

WHAPOW!

Dawn had slugged Lucas on his left cheek, then helped him up off the ground.

"You said I could have a free one right." Now Dawn was smiling.

"Yeah." Lucas said, as he rubbed his cheek. "I won't make that mistake again."

Dawn then went up and kissed the cheek she hit before he began to disappear once again.


End file.
